Posts filed under iNaturalist

DON’T MIX YOUR LIZARDS!

While lizards may all look alike to you, they are entertaining and helpful to have around. They generally eat insects, spiders, and other invertebrates. Recently, we have been warned about the Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis siculus), accidentally introduced into downtown Joplin some years ago. It has become well-established in town, and could compete with and endanger native lizards if it spreads into our rocky Wildcat and Silver Creek Glades.

Residents have been asked to report the location of Italian Wall Lizards inside the city to a research group at Texas A&M*, and to MDC if they see any on the glades. It has recently been placed on the Missouri “Prohibited List” which means you can’t hold them as a pet, even though they may be living in your yard. They also can’t be imported, exported, transported, sold, or purchased.  

Prairie Racerunner

 BUT here is where you need to become “lizard-aware.” There is a native lizard, the Prairie Racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineata viridis), that from a distance, looks similar to the Italian Wall Lizard. Both adult lizards are about 10” long as adults, but while the Prairie Racerunner has 6 or 7 definite, solid stripes, the Italian Wall Lizard has fewer stripes made up of a series of dashes or dots. Both lizards can have a greenish tinge.

Italian Wall Lizards

The Italian Wall Lizard is an urban species, originally from the Mediterranean area, comfortable on rock/brick/stucco walls and building foundations inside cities. They have been seen near City Hall! You may even see them sunning on a sidewalk in North Joplin. It is unlikely that they will ever disappear from Joplin. They have been here since 2000. Since the Italian Wall Lizard is territorial and known to be aggressive towards other lizards, we don’t want them on our glades

The Racerunner is found in open rocky areas, along gravel roads, railroad tracks, and commonly seen in our glades. They are a delight to hikers and part of our rich natural heritage. They are less likely to be seen inside Joplin City limits, but are welcome wherever they venture.

Do not confuse, or be afraid of either of these two lizards! Take a good look at these pictures, or the many you can see online if you look, and be sure you can recognize the difference.

*Take a picture and send it to: brichey@tamu.edu along with the address or GPS where you saw the lizard. If you see one (for sure) but did not photograph, still report with the location/address. Or if you have an iNaturalist account, enter it into the project called “Italian Wall Lizards in the United States”

Italian Wall Lizard

Plants are not the only Invasives in Joplin!!! Check it out!

                                                                Yes! Italian Wall Lizards are in Joplin!

They DON’T belong here!

If they invade our glade habitats, they will eliminate native lizard populations.

Be on the lookout and report any sightings!

Use the QR code to report directly to iNaturalist OR

Email with a photo and GPS location to brichey@tamu.edu.

 ANY GLADE SIGHTINGS SHOULD BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY TO

(Missouri Department of Conservation).

Flyer below


Posted on August 17, 2024 and filed under iNaturalist, Invasive Lizard.

Leapin' Lizards

Yes! Italian Wall Lizards are in Joplin, and they DON’T belong here! Some Joplin residents know this all too well! The rest of us need to be on the lookout for these invasive lizards. Competition with native lizards and other wildlife would be a major concern if they were to make their way to Wildcat Glades Natural Area or Silver Creek Glade.

Italian Wall Lizard

But where did they come from? Apparently, Italian Wall Lizards (Podarcis siculus) escaped from a collector about 2001 when a feral cat dumped an enclosure set outside to give the lizards some sunshine. Since they are native to the Mediterranean region, the collector thought the winter would kill them…WRONG!

In 2013 a resident in the Murphysburg area of North Joplin contacted the Missouri State Herpetologist, Jeff Briggler, concerning a large number of lizards “infesting” his neighborhood. This was investigated, verified, and surveys have been conducted regularly to mark the spread of the lizard. They are commonly seen in rocky habitats, on walls, sidewalks, or building foundations in urban neighborhoods.

So why am I just hearing about this now? Residents were told to keep this problem quiet to prevent collectors from descending on the area to capture and spread them further. However, recently, this lizard was placed on the State of Missouri Prohibited Species List so they cannot legally be imported, exported, transported, sold, purchased, or possessed alive in Missouri. An article will appear in the Conservationist magazine this December.

What can I do about it? Report them when you see them! A research group from Texas A & M is tracking the range of these lizards and their impact on native species in the U.S. Submit photos to iNaturalist or to their research website (www.walllizards.com). If you see them on Wildcat or Silver Creek glades, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation right away!